Zakov was taken into custody Tuesday after trying to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. According to the complaint, he confessed everything to border officers. The suspect said he had been instructed to drive to Denny’s in Chula Vista with the two men in the trunk. There, he would receive further instructions. He said he coordinated the smuggling operation with three different men in Mexico and was promised a payment of $3,500.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), officers at the border stopped an orange 2012 Dodge Challenge around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. They opened the trunk and found two men inside – a 28-year-old and 20-year-old – both unconscious and not breathing. The men were pronounced dead at the hospital, CBP officials said.